Indiana survives Temple

Top-seeded Hoosiers overcome 31-point game from Owls' star Wyatt

Associated Press

Published 11:39 pm, Sunday, March 24, 2013

Photo: Orlin Wagner

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Kansas center Jeff Withey (5) lands amidst photographers during the second half of a third-round game against North Carolina in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, March 24, 2013. Kansas defeated North Carolina 70-58. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) less

Kansas center Jeff Withey (5) lands amidst photographers during the second half of a third-round game against North Carolina in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., ... more

Photo: Orlin Wagner

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Temple forward Anthony Lee, right, reaches over Indiana forward Jeremy Hollowell (33) and guard Victor Oladipo (4) in the first half of a third-round game of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday March 24, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Skip Peterson) less

Temple forward Anthony Lee, right, reaches over Indiana forward Jeremy Hollowell (33) and guard Victor Oladipo (4) in the first half of a third-round game of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday ... more

Photo: Skip Peterson

Indiana survives Temple

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Dayton, Ohio

On the verge of being the second No. 1 knocked from the NCAA Tournament, Indiana finally stopped Temple's No. 1.

Victor Oladipo hit a key 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining and the top-seeded Hoosiers, their season moments from ending in disappointment, shut down Owls star Khalif Wyatt in the final three minutes to hold off Temple 58-52 on Sunday in the East Regional.

The Hoosiers (29-6) trailed by four with 2:56 left, but closed with a 10-0 run and advanced to the round of 16 for the second straight year.

Indiana will play No. 4 seed Syracuse in the regional semifinals on Thursday in Washington, a rematch of the classic 1987 title game won by the Hoosiers.

Wyatt scored 31 points to lead the Owls (24-10), who gave one of the Big Ten's big boys all they could handle before collapsing when it mattered most.

"Temple, like I said to our players in the huddle, they're as tough a team physically and mentally as we faced all year, and we faced the best all year in the Big Ten," Indiana coach Tom Crean said. "They take a backseat to nobody. This was a hard-earned victory that can only make us better."

Oladipo, who spent the afternoon doing all he could to slow down Wyatt, scored 16 and Cody Zeller added 15 for the Hoosiers, lucky to leave Dayton with their national title hopes intact.

With Indiana needing a score to open some breathing room, Oladipo hit a shot Hoosier fans will add to the pantheon of big ones by IU players.

Oladipo's long 3 put the Hoosiers up 56-52. Wyatt, the Atlantic 10's Player of the Year, then missed a 3-pointer with six seconds left and Indiana's Christian Watford grabbed the rebound and was fouled, making both free throws.

Wyatt had 20 points in the first half and the Owls led at halftime 29-26.

The three-point deficit at the break matched Indiana's largest this season.

Wyatt fearlessly went at Oladipo, the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year, and in one dizzying sequence Wyatt scored 13 consecutive points.

In other games: Shane Larkin hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute left and Miami kept possession on a ball knocked out of bounds that probably should have gone to Illinois, helping the Hurricanes hold on for a 63-59 victory to advance to the NCAA round of 16. After Larkin's first field goal in about 91/2 minutes, D.J. Richardson missed a 3-pointer. But the Hurricanes kept the ball, and Durand Scott made two free throws after that.